Function control unit



Se t. 24, 1963 R. A. MEYERS ETAL 3,1

FUNCTION CONTRGL UNIT (DIFFERENCE IN ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE METHOD) Filed Jan. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lo WATER l .lNE-

su SIO $9 $8 s1 $6 $5 0 s4 s3 s2 sl FIG. I

Negative Function I INVENTOR R. A. MEYERS Posifivg H.B.O. DAVIS Funchon FIG,4 W.E.D|ETRICH FIG. 5. ATTORNEY Sept. 24, 1963 R. A. MEYERS ETAL 3,105,145

FUNCTION CONTROL UNIT (DIFFERENCE IN ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE METHOD) Filed Jan. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2- Function Input Negative Function FIG.6

F I TIIN A U C E GENERATOR F AMF.

SYNC PULSE NEGATIVE INPuT CLIPPER E 2 II L 7 1 |2 FULL CUT-OFF WAVE FUNCTION 2 I REcT. l9 GENERATOR l8 (I3 I N I I POSITIVE FP --o POSITIVE \J CL|PPER CLIPPER El FIG. 9. MENTOR R.A.MEYERS H.B.0. DAVIS W.E.DIETRICH BY W4 Sept. 24, 1963 FUNCTION CONTROL. UNIT (DIFFERENCE IN ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE METHOD) Filed Jan. 19, 1959 R, A. MEYERS ETAL SYNC PULSE |NPUT I CUT-OFF FUNCTION GENERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet. a

b NCUTOFF FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION GENERATOR NEGATIVE CLIPPER 2| as 20 If 1 POSITIVE POSITIVE K! CLIPPER D CLIPPER El FIG. 7.

g OUTPUT 0F AMP. l6,

-(Eg-F) h OUTPUT OF AM'P. l7,

(EZ'F) NEGATIVE CLIPPER OUTPUT (E2) m OUTPUT OF F.W. RECT.

pg grg g c =-PER i OUTPUT OF AMP. n9, Fn

k OUTPUT 0F AMP. 20 INPUT FUNCTION m OUTPUT 0F CLIPPER 2| F OUTPUT 0F AMP.|4, p

INVENTOR awe:

. 1 FIG. 8. w E DIETRICH Sept. 24, 1963 R. A. MEYERS ETAL FUNCTION CONTROL UNIT (DIFFERENCE IN A BSOLUTE MAGNITUDE METHOD) Filed Jan. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

SOON ll INVENTOR R. A. MEYERS H. B. O. DAVIS W.E. DIETRICH 2 a s; a

FUNCTION CONTROL UNIT (DIFFERENCE IN ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE METHOD) File d Jan. 19, 1959 Sept. 24, 1963 R. A. MEYERS ETAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR R. A. MEYERS H. W

B. O. DAVIS .E.D|ETRICH 6. A. ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,105,145 FUNCTIGN CGNTRSL UNIT (DIFFERENCE IN ABSGLUTE MAGNITUBE METHOD) Robert A. Meyers, Silver Spring, Md, Henry B. 0. Davis, Indialantic-by-the-Sea, Melbourne, Fla and Waliace E. Dietrich, Baltimore, Md, assiguors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Ian. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 787,783 8 Claims. (Cl. 235-193) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to a function control unit (difference in absolute magnitude method) for simulating static and dynamic conditions of a ship under various degrees of loading, heave, roll, or pitch.

The invention is primarily used to perform mathematical operations on the output of a function generator, such as an Electronic Curve Tracing Device, Patent No. 2,845,572, issued July 29, 1958, by W. E. Dietrich, In, to produce modified electrical waveforms which simulate the actual performance of the ship.

The apparatus of the invention may be used to replace function control units 31-35 of copending patent application Serial No. 370,901, filed 28 July 1953, Patent No. 2,955,762, issued 11 October 1960, entitled Representation and Measurement of Physical Entities Electrically by W. E. Dietrich, Ir., while allowing more flexible methods of operation.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a method and apparatus for modifying a waveform proportional to a ship hull shape to produce an output which simulates the performance of a ship in actual operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for modifying a hull shape waveform at any speed up to at least 200 times per second without generating transients or noise in the output.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the annexed drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of a ship having equally spaced transverse cross-section hull lines 81 through S11;

FIG. 2. is a stern view of the ship showing the shape of the cross-sectional lines and a typical heeled waterline WL;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the function generator output for the ship shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of one transverse cross-section of a ship with a roll of 45 degrees;

FIG. 5 illustrates the shape of the positive and negative functions plotted as a voltage versus time;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of the relationship between the positive and negative functions and the true cross-section of the ship;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the function control unit;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating typical waveforms of the function control unit of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the function control unit illustrating another method of calculation;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the function control unit of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of amplifiers 14-17, 19 and Z0 utilized in the function control units of FIGS. 7 and 9.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts through- Patented Sept. 24, 1963 out the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a ship 10 having a keel at 0, a sloping deck, and a number of graced transversed cross-section or station lines S1 through Referring to FIG. 2, a stern view of the ship 10- is shown by drawing the cross-section lines and a typical heeled water line WL.

These cross-section lines Sit-S11 are scanned in sequence by a function generator, and a wave train, illustrated by the solid lines of FIG. 3, appears at the output of the function generator. Each pattern (SI-11) of the Wave train shown in FIG. 3 represents the shape of one-half of a correspondingly numbered cross-section or station line (SI-11) of FIG. 1.

For stability investigations, it is necessary to calculate the transverse area of the cross-sections up to the waterline. The purpose of the function control unit is to insert any desired waterline as represented by the slope of a cutoff function on the transverse cross-sectional shapes while being able to vary the displacement or the distance from the keel to the waterline. This operation is indicated by the dashed lines on FIG. 3.

The function control unit will also generate a waveform representing each side of the ship. For example, FIG. 4 represents the transverse cross section of a ship with a roll of 45 degrees and at a depth X in the water. The port or negative buoyancy side of the ship up to the waterline may be represented by a voltage Waveform as shown by the solid line marked Negative Function in FIG. 5". This waveform is referred to as the negative function for the side high in the water and the starboard or positive buoyancy side is referred to as the positive function for the side of the ship sitting low in the water.

The positive buoyancy side of the ship would be represented by the dashed curve of FIG. 5. Because the straight or waterline portion of the positive function has a reverse slope with respect to time, this waveform cannot be generated as a function of time and displayed on an oscilloscope. Instead, an electrical waveform having the same integral value, which may be made to give the identical information, is generated by the function control unit. This waveform is identical in shape to the original function up to the time that the negative function reaches zero. At this time, the positive function is cut off and drops to Zero as the negative function did. These two waveforms are shown in FIG. 6.

If the input function F did not increase in amplitude between times B and C (FIG. 6), the positive function between times B and C would be a linear decrease with the same slope as the negative function between A and B as shown by dotted line B'-C. The input function F increase in amplitude causes the waterline to intersect the ship outline at D". An area corresponding to the integral of the increase in amplitude between B and D is added to the waveform, however, to give the proper integral for the positive function output. The necessity for this correction may be seen from FIG. 6.

In order for the waveform of the positive function to represent accurately the integral of the positive side of the ship, it must include any increase in amplitude between times B and D If the positive function decrease from B to C were perfectly linear, the waveform would enclose an area equal to the area of the positive side, neglecting the area B'CD".

Adding in this additional area while dropping from B to D at a constant rate creates the curved line B'--D to make the area B'CD equal to the area BC'D.

A number of methods were considered which would give the desired output function with the waterline cut off at the exact time required for each cross section. Basically the techniques considered were to generate a verse Waterline from' horizontal.

so-called cut-ofi function with a step rise, adjustable time delay, and linear voltage drop. The output voltage representing the cross-section must then be cutoff at the time that the voltage of the cutoff function equals the voltage of the generated shape function. No satisfactory method was found which had the required accuracy or freedom from switching transients over the full output voltage range. Instead, the instruments was designed along the lines of a computer to solve the equation of the desired output voltage. This method has given an instrument with no switching transients, drifts, or other inaccuracies anticipated with other methods considered;

The operation of the function control unit over one cycle or period of operation for the negative function output is given by the equation:

E is the cutoff function (positive half), F is the input function, and F is the negative function output.

The instrument is therefore a form of computer which generates E and, with an input F, solves the above equation to give F at the output.

The positive function F is given by the equation Where E is the cutoff function (negative half) and F is the positive function output which is clipped to eliminate the positive part of the waveform (see FIG. 8 (m) The operation of the function control unit may be understood by referring to the block diagram of FIG. 7'and the waveforms of FIG. 8. The cutoff function generator (block 11) is the term applied to the circuits which control the function limit sweep, cutoff angle, and amplitude. For example, the cutofi function generator 11 supplies a Waveform Whose slope from positive peak to negative peak represents the angle of the ships trans- This angle may be varied.

Referring to FIG. 7, an input function generator is shownwhich generates an input function F, FIG. 8 (e), and a sync. pulse, FIG. 8 (a), which occurs at time to trigger cut-off function E. FIG. 8 (b). The cut-off function generator 11 is connected to negative clipper 12, which has an output E FIG. 8 (c), and positive clipper 13, which has an output E FIG. 8 (d);

Amplifier 14 is connected to negative clipper 12 and th input function generator to produce an output z+ 8 (1) The inverting amplifier 14 produces the output (E -|-F), which is the first term of the equation of P Amplifier 15 is connected to the input function generator to produce an output F. Amplifier 16' is connected to negative clipper 12 and amplifier 15 to produce an output -(E F), FIG. 8 (g). Amplifier 17 is connected to the output of amplifier 16 to produce an output (E F), FIG. 8 (h).

A full wave rectifier 18 is connected to the output of amplifiers 16 and 17 to produce an output |(E F)|, FIG. 8 (i), which is the absolute value of (E F) and the second term of the equation of F,,.

Amplifier 19, having a gain of /2, is connected to the output of amplifier 14 and the output of the full wave rectifier 18 to produce the negative function F,,, FIG. 8 (i)- Amplifier 20 is connected to the output of the input functon generator and the positive clipper 13, to produce an output (E +F), FIG. 8 (k). Positive clipper 21 is connected to the output of amplifier 20 to produce the positive function F FIG. 8 (m).

The embodiment of FIG. 7 :has been used for symmetrical shapes and thereby requires only one input function generator. However, the input function generator Amplifier 14 is an inverting amplifier as are 15, 16, 17 19 and 20 shown in FIG. 7.-

'4 input to amplifier 20 may be disconnected and a second input generator may be connected to amplifier 20 so that asymmetrical input functions may be used if desired.

Referring to FIG. 9, an alternative method of calculating the negative function is shown which allows amplifier 15 to be eliminated. Amplifier 16 is connected to the output of amplifier 14, (E +F), for a gain of l and connected to the input function +F for a gain of 2. Therefore the output of amplifier 16 is 2+ or (E F). Amplifier 17 produces (E -F) from the connection to amplifier 16. Full wave rectifier 18 is connected to amplifiers 16 and 17 and produces [(E F)|. Amplifier 19 then produces F and the positive function F is produced as in FIG. 7.

A schematic diagram of the system of FIG. 7 is drawn in FIG. 10 with the amplifiers drawn in block form and illustrated in FIG. 11.

The cut-off function generator 11 is set off by the dashed lines as are the other blocks of FIG. 7. The sync pulse input is applied to the grid of thyratron V1 which forms, along with capacitor C3 and constant current charge tube V5a, a sawtooth waveform generator whose output is applied to the grid of a triode V2a. Tube V2a, which is normally turned on, is cut-off by the sawtooth waveform from thyratron V1 and, in conjunction with the sync pulse applied to the grid of triode V25, triggers a flip-flop stage including triodes V341 and VSb connected to the plate circuit of tube V21), turning V3a on and V317 off.

The drop in voltage at the plate of V3a turns triode V411 off and allows the circuits of tubes Vb, V9a, and VSb to apply a constant high voltage to the grid of a switching tube V6. V6 charges up capacitor C11 to a constant high voltage in a short period of time, which voltage is applied to cut off a cathode followerVi'b of the function generator 11.

The constant charging of capacitor C3 by tube V5a raises the voltage at the grid of trigger V2a until, at a point determined by the input to V8 corresponding to the displacement or X distance on FIG. 4, V2a conducts which tends to cut off V3a and retrigger the flip-flop stage. The rise in voltage at the plate of tube VSa turns tube V4a on which turns switching tube V6 off. Capacitor C11 discharges to zero, where it is clamped by a diode 1%, through constant current tube V7a at a rate determined by a resistor R30, after which the circuit remains at rest until another sync pulse arrives.

The slope of the cut-off function and therefore angle qb, as shown in FIG. 4, depends on the setting of R30. The depth or X distance depends on the manual setting of resistor R12 or may be performed automatically by applying a voltage input at terminal 26 connected to-the grid of tube V8 proportional to X along the length of the ship.

The cut-off function is applied to a negative clipper 12 comprising cathode follower tubes Vllla and VIII; and clipper tube V13 and a positive clipper 13 comprising $1thode follower tubes V12a and V12b and clipper tube The positive and negative cut-off functions E and E and the function input F are fed to amplifiers 1417, 19, and 20, positive clipper 21, and full wave rectifier 18 (comprising tube V16) by means of large resistors R48, R54, R55, R57, R59 and R65 (about 1 megohm). Feedback resistors R50, R53, R60, R63, R68, R74, and R75 stabilize the amplifiers and set the gain to 1 or /2 as the case may be. If the gain of the amplifiers is large (10,000 in this case), the accuracy for addition and subtraction depends on the matching accuracy of the input and feedback resistors (within .1% in this case).

Referring to FIG. 11, a schematic diagram of the amplifiers is shown. A first cathode follower V1a is cathode coupled to a cathode driven, grounded grid amplifier Vlb. Vlb is connected to pentode amplifier V212 which is in turn connected to cathode follower V2a. V3a is a cathode follower output tube connected to V2a by means of constant current coupling tube V312. R13 provides a positive feedback path for maximum gain with stability while C2 provides a negative feedback path for optimum high frequency response.

An operative embodiment of the function control unit of FIG. employed the following typical values:

R1 ohms 100K R2 dn 47K R3 do 27K R4 do 220K RS do 220K R6 do 270K R7 (10 120K 3 dn 10K R9 do 100K R10 dn 100K R11 dn 100K R12 dn 100K R1 do 100K R14 do 220K R15 megnmns 1 R16 ohms K R17 dn 470K R18 do 470K R19 do.. 12K R21) dn 20K R21 megohms 1 R27. ohms..- 100K R23 dn 200K R24 do 120K R25 d 120K R26 do 2K R27 do 100K R28 d 1K R29 dn 270K R30 do 30K R31 do 150K R32 rln 47K R33 megohms 3.3 R34 ohms 100K R35 10.... 120K R36 do 220K R37 dn 220K R38 do 500K R39 do 500K R41 do 10K R42 do 180K R44- do 10K R45 do 180K R46 do 100K R47 do 100K R48 megohms 1 R49 ohms 100K R59 megohms 1 R51 do 1 R52 ohms K R53 megohms 1 R54 d0 1 R55 do 1 R57 do 1 R58 ohms 100K R59 megohms" 1 R60 do 1 R63 do 1 R54 dn 1 R65 do 1 R67 ohms-.. 50K R68 megohms 1 R69 dn 1 R70 do 1 R71 ohms 10K R72 do 180K R73 megohms 1 6 R74 do 1 R75 dn 1 C1 micro-micro-farads C2 dn 100 C3 micro-faradsu 0.9

C4 (in 8 C5 rnicro-micro-farads 20 C6 do 20 C7 do 100 C8 micro-fanatic 0,25 C9 do 25 C10 dn 0.25

C11 do All-.10

V1 2D21 V2 12AX7 V3 12AX7 V4 12AX7 V5 12AX7 V6 12AX7 V7 12AX7 V8 /212AU7 V9 6AL5 V11 12AX7 V12 12AX7 V13 6AL5 V14 6AL5 V15 6AL5 V16 12AX7 An operative embodiment of the amplifier of FIG- 11 employed the following typical values:

R1 ohms 40K R2 do.... 82K R3 do 18K R4 dn 270K R5 do 82K R6 megohms 3.3 R7 ohms 270K R8 do 50K R9 do 27K R10 do 27K R11 do 680K R12 do 1K R13 dn K R14 megohms 2 R15 do 0.5 R16 do 2 R17 ohms 470K R18 dn 220K R19 do 220K C1 micro-micro-farads 15 C2 dn 3-12 C3 do 10 C4 d0 50 V1 12AX7 V2 6U8 V3 12AT7 The accuracy of the desired output function is excellent, because the means used to generate the output function is primarily that of simple addition and subtraction.

There is no distortion of the output function due to the transition point and there are no transient pulses generated at the cross-over point.

The output waveform is at the same D.C. level as the input, with no level or gain change, although gain could be added if desired.

The frequency response is from DC. to the frequency limit of the amplifiers used (about 200 c.p.s.).

There is negligible drift due to the use of stable operational amplifiers.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A function control unit for modifying arecurring electrical waveform proportional to a ships hull shape comprising a generator for generating a cut-off function proportional to an arbitrary Waterline of said ship, a negative clipper connected to said generator for producing a first cut-off function proportional to the waterline of the side of the ship high in the water, a first mixer connected to said negative clipper and to said generator for combining said hull waveform and first cut-o function to produce a first negative output proportional to the smaller absolute value of said waveform and first cut-off function, a positive clipper connected to said gener-ator for clipping said cut-off function to produce a second cut-off function proportional to the side of said ship low in the Water, and a second mixer connected to said positive clipper and to said generator for combining said hull Waveform and second cut-off function to pro duce :a second negative output proportional to the absolute difference between said waveform and second cutoff function.

2. A function control unit according to claim 1 and further characterized by said first mixer comprising a first amplifier connected to said negative clipper for producing a negative output proportional to the sum of said waveform and first cut-off function, :a second amplifier having means for producing a negative output proportional to said Waveform, a third amplifier connected to said negative. clipper and second amplifier for producing a negative output proportional to the difference between said first cut-off function and waveform, a fourth amplifier connected to said third amplifier for producing a positive output proportional to the difference between said first cut-off function and waveform, a full wave rectifier connected to said third and fourth amplifiers for producing an output proportional to the absolute magnitude of the difference between said first cut-off function and waveform, and a fifth amplifier connected to said full wave rectifier and first amplifier for producing an out-put proportional to the smaller absolute value of said waveform and first cut-off function.

3. A' function control unit according to claim 1 and further characterized by said first mixer comprising a first amplifier connected to said negative clipper for producing a negative output proportional to the sum of said waveform and said cut-ofi function, a second amplifier connected to the output of said first amplifier for producing a positive output proportional to the difference between said first cut-off function and waveform, a third amplifier connected to said second amplifier for producing a negative output proportional to the difference between said first cut-off function and waveform, a full wave rectifier connected to said second and third amplifiers for producing an output proportional to the absolute magnitude of the difierence between said first cut-off function and waveform, :and a fourth amplifier connected to said full wave rectifier and first amplifier for producing an output-proportional to the smaller absolute value of said waveform and first cut-off function.

4. A function control unit according to claim 1 and further characterized by said second mixer comprising an amplifier connected to said positive clipper for producing a negative output proportional to the difference between said second cut-off function and waveform and an output clipper connected to said amplifier for pass ing only a negative output from said amplifier.

5. A function control unit for simulating static and I dynamic conditions of a ship, comprising waveform generating means for generating an electrical waveform proportional to the outline of a transverse cross section of the hull of said ship; waveform cutoff generating means for cutting off said electrical wavefonm. at points thereof corresponding to the location of the ships water line on said transverse cross section, and adding means connected to said waveform generating means and to said cutoff generating means for additively combining the respectiv-e outputs thereof to produce a waveform proportional to the area of said transverse cross section below said waterline.

6. A function control unit for simulating static and dynamic conditions of a surface ship, comprising input Waveform generating means for generating an input waveform corresponding to the transverse cross sectional outline of the ships hull; cutoff waveform generating means for producing a Waveform having a slope from positive peak-to-negative peak corresponding to an arbitrary angular deviation of the ships waterline from horizontal; first means for combining said input waveform and the positive portion of said cutoff Waveform for producing an output waveform having an area proportional to the lesser area of said transverse cross section of the hull below the waterline on one side of the ships 'centerline; and second means for combining said input Waveform and the negative portion of said cutoff waveform for producing another wave-form proportional to the greater area of said transverse cross section below the waterline on the other side of the ships centerline.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 but further characterized by said first means comprising a negative clipper connected to said cutoff waveform generating means, and amplifying means connected to said negative clipper and to said input waveform generating means for producing an output waveform representative of saidlesser area; and said second means comprising a positive clipper connected to said cutoff Waveform generating means,

and amplifying means connected to said positive clipper References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,783,453 Rose Feb. 26, 1957 2,809,290 Kee Oct. 8, 1957 2,831,107 Raymond et al Apr. 15, 1958 2,896,165 Homing et al July 21, 1959 2,934,267 Wirkler et 58,1 Apr. 26, 1960 OTHER REFERENCES Reswick: Scale Factors for Analog Computers, Product Engineering (March 1954), p. 197.

Hori: Basic Simulation Techniques, Automatic Control (May 1957), p. 30 to end of article. 

1. A FUNCTION CONTROL UNIT FOR MODIFYING A RECURRING ELECTRICAL WAVEFORM PROPORTIONAL TO A SHIP''S HULL SHAPE COMPRISING A GENERATOR FOR GENERATING A CUT-OFF FUNCTION PROPORTIONAL TO AN ARBITRARY WATERLINE OF SAID SHIP, A NEGATIVE CLIPPER CONNECTED TO SAID GENERATOR FOR PRODUCING A FIRST CUT-OFF FUNCTION PROPORTIONAL TO THE WATERLINE OF THE SIDE OF THE SHIP HIGH IN THE WATER, A FIRST MIXER CONNECTED TO SAID NEGATIVE CLIPPER AND TO SAID GENERATOR FOR COMBINING SAID HULL WAVEFORM AND FIRST CUT-OFF FUNCTION TO PRODUCE A FIRST NEGATIVE OUTPUT PROPORTIONAL TO THE SMALLER ABSOLUTE VALUE OF SAID WAVEFORM AND FIRST CUT-OFF FUNCTION, A POSITIVE CLIPPER CONNECTED TO SAID GENERATOR FOR CLIPPING SAID CUT-OFF FUNCTION TO PRODUCE A SECOND CUT-OFF FUNCTION PROPORTIONAL TO THE SIDE OF SAID SHIP LOW IN THE WATER, AND A SECOND MIXER CONNECTED TO SAID POSITIVE CLIPPER AND TO SAID GENERATOR FOR COMBINING SAID HULL WAVEFORM AND SECOND CUT-OFF FUNCTION TO PRODUCE A SECOND NEGATIVE OUTPUT PROPORTIONAL TO THE ABSOLUTE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAID WAVEFORM AND SECOND CUTOFF FUNCTION. 